Expansion at Presidency Kid
Presidency Kid Leather Limited, India, looks to the future with confidence as the date draws near for bringing its new production department into operation.
The need to address changing patterns in production demands, and advances in technology, are the factors underlying this investment. Essentially, improvements in hide care, leather making technology and commercial necessity have redefined the term "calf". Sizes averaging up to even 25 sq.ft have been accepted in this category. This area increase creates a reduction in labour and handling costs, and thus increases the viability of calf production.
Presidency Kid Leather Ltd. is firmly established as a prime manufacturer of glace kid leathers, but there is a historical balance between the demand for kid and calf leathers. As the demand for one increases, so the demand for the other falls, therefore, to level the production flow, the company is supplementing its kid supply with the new calf leather production.
The new buildings for this specialised manufacture are 7,000 m2, being similar in size to the kid tannery. The new building is divided into five areas: wet blue reception, inspection and storage; dye to crust; buffing; finishing; packaging and dispatch, with the dyeing process carried out in the adjacent dyeing department. Most of the machinery is new, including a Cartigliano turbo vacuum drier, Alpa Spak splitting machine, Gemata roller coaters, and roller presses fitted with embossing rollers. New offices, conference room and a leather display area will be situated on a mezzanine over the calf production plant.
This development has been planned over the last three years. Building commenced in mid-December 2000, and it is planned to commence the new production in November 2001, reaching its maximum capacity of 0.5 million sq.ft a month within two years. Present Kid Leather production stands at 1.3 million sq.ft2 a month.
